$100 or Less DIY Upgrades and Maintenance for a Healthier, Safer Home

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You may not be aware that your home may pose some hidden risks for you and your family. But you don’t need a fat budget to give your home a safer and healthier boost. After all, there is nothing more important than keeping your family safe.

Hazards may be lurking in your home, but for $100 or less, you can take the home improvement precautions you need to arm and protect your family from common household dangers. Below, Danny recommends these budget-friendly DIY projects for a safer and healthier home:

Mount smoke detectors: There should be a smoke detector on each floor and in or near every bedroom in the home. Installing them is as simple as mounting them four inches from the wall on the ceiling. Smoke rises, so opt to place the detector on the highest point on the ceiling if you have an odd-shaped ceiling.

Estimated cost: $30

Install a water filter: If you’re concerned about lead, VOCs, microbial cysts and pharmaceuticals in your tap water, or even if you just don’t like the taste or smell of it, install a DIY water filtration system. Filtrete Brand makes a full line of them, such as the High Performance Drinking Water System that comes with a dedicated faucet and will provide your family with cleaner, better tasting water.

Estimated cost: $100

Secure heavy furniture and appliances: Children aren’t the only ones susceptible to bookshelves, televisions and more falling and causing harm. Use furniture brackets or straps to secure dressers, the stove, audio equipment and more to the wall to ensure passersby are safe from falling and tipping items.

Estimated cost: $10 and up, depending on amount needed

Install carbon monoxide alarms: The odorless, colorless, poisonous gas is a result of improperly vented or defective home systems such as heaters, furnaces and fireplaces. Carbon monoxide does not rise to the ceiling like smoke, so the alarms can be mounted anywhere, such as plugged into wall outlets or affixed to walls and powered by batteries.

Estimated cost: $50

Install a bathroom vent fan: Poor ventilation in the bathroom can lead to a build-up of excess moisture, which is a breeding ground for mold and mildew. Install a bathroom vent fan to push the moist air outside the home to avoid unhealthy conditions in the room, as well as fogged-up windows, steamy mirrors, and eventually ruined walls and ceilings.

Backed by his 40-year remodeling career, Danny served as the home improvement expert for CBS’s The Early Show and The Weather Channel for more than a decade. His extensive hands-on experience and understanding of the industry make him the go-to source for all things having to do with the home – from advice on simple repairs, to complete remodels, to helping homeowners prepare their homes for extreme weather and seasons.